Our Trustees

Kamruddin Kothia OBE, DL (Chair of Board of Trustees, Chair of Nomination & Remuneration Committee)

A graduate from the University of Bradford, Kam’s extensive and impactful career has spanned over 35 years and seen him gain significant experience as a business strategist and leader in the digital and technology sector. In the past, he has been particularly lauded for implementing finely tuned high growth strategies for start-up and scale-up businesses.

Presently, Kam is the CEO of eBusiness UK, one of UK’s leading digital marketing agencies. One of his most recent appointments has seen him take up a Non-Executive Director position at Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), leading the development of the digital sector strategy for Lancashire.

Kam also has significant experience in a volunteer capacity, including roles as a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire and Member of the Regimental Council of The Duke of Lancaster Regiment.

Kam is passionate about improving the life chances of young people through education, and is currently the Chair of Star Academies’ Board of Trustees, a position he has held for over 10 years.

In Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022, Kam was appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to Education.

In 2023, Kam was appointed Honorary Professor – School of Engineering by the University of Central Lancashire to support the delivery of its Innovation and Enterprise agenda.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: August 2020

Mo Isap (Vice Chair of Board of Trustees, Chair of Policy and Resources Committee)

Mo Isap is the CEO of IN4 Group, headquartered at MediaCity, Salford. He holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management and the Royal Society of Arts.

IN4 Group is an award-winning technology group that specialises in driving prosperity for businesses and communities. The Group delivers a unique technology talent acquisition solution, unlocking the potential within diverse and disadvantaged communities. It operates several brands including Skills City, one of the country’s largest digital Skills Bootcamps operations; Gametech, which includes esports, Unity and Unreal Engine; recruitment specialist IN4 Talent; and the North West contract with CyberFirst Schools & Colleges.

IN4 operates HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology, one of the North West’s most established innovation hubs, based at MediaCity, formerly known as The Landing. It offers five floors of innovation services, training and facilities including the UK’s first Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) lab with Vodafone, and support for people and businesses alike, from start-ups and SMEs through to enterprises and the public sector. This includes the pioneering FreelanceHER 100 programme which supports female tech entrepreneurs.

Over a 30-year career as an entrepreneur, Mo has launched and scaled several successful start-ups and university spinouts. He scaled his first business MPG in 1996 to one of the largest independent digital print companies in the UK and was listed in the Financial Times 100 fastest-growing UK companies.

Latterly, Mo was group director at Hobs Plc where he led group strategy and their 3D operations. In four years, Hobs established itself as one of the UK’s leading Prop-tech businesses, providing 3D printing, 3D laser scanning and Immersive solutions.

He is a founding director, trustee and vice chair of Star Academies, a leading Multi-Academy Trust, operating over 35 schools nationwide. Ranked as the best-performing Multi-Academy Trust in the country, all the Trust’s Free Schools have been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Mo is also a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) and a board director of the Career & Enterprise Company, which was established in 2015 to help link schools and colleges to employers, to increase employer engagement for young people and provide high-quality activities where they are most needed.

Previously, Mo was co-chair of the Greater Manchester LEP (Local Enterprises Partnership).

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: August 2020

Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE (Chief Executive)

Hamid is the Chief Executive of Star Academies. He has led the Trust since its inception. Hamid is passionate about the highest of ambition for children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities across the country and this vision has guided the philosophy of the Trust and his work in particular. Hamid, as a National Leader of Education, is a member of several national and international strategic educational and policy forums. In this role, he has contributed to the development of strategies and programmes as diverse as teacher training, leadership development, community cohesion, curriculum reform and social mobility. Hamid is committed to the development of a strong and world-class academy sector and actively works to improve its reputation.

Within his previous role, as Executive Principal of the Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School (TIGHS), the school secured three ‘outstanding’ inspections by Ofsted and became the top school in the country for progress by all students, those with low prior achievement at primary school and from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school is now an Academy within the Trust.

Prior to his role at Star, Hamid was the Director of Strategy, Change and External Relations at Bradford College – leading on one of the most ambitious change programmes in Further Education.

In recognition of his service to education, Hamid was awarded a CBE in 2015 and a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021. Hamid is currently Chair of Governors at Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School.

Chief Executive Trustee
Appointed:  September 2012

Dr. Carol Costello

Dr. Carol Costello was appointed as Director of People and Services at the University of Liverpool in November 2019, having spent 9 years as the HR Director (HRD). Carol’s area of responsibility covers IT Services, External Relations, Marketing and Communications Human Resources and Facilities, Residential and Commercial Services.

Prior to this she was the HRD for Lancashire County Council: managing teams delivering Organisational and Learning and Development, Human Resources, Payroll and Health and Safety Services for over 40,000 employees, (many of them in Lancashire schools) and a number of external partners. Her earlier background was spent leading Corporate and Customer Services at a number of Metropolitan Councils: services such as Finance, Legal and Governance, HR, IT, Revenues and Benefits, Culture and Leisure, Highways and Maintenance.

Carol is a Trustee of the University of Liverpool Pension Fund (ULPF) and works nationally on pensions as a member of the Joint Negotiation Committee for the Universities Superannuation Scheme. In the Liverpool City Region, Carol has pushed forward important schemes such as the pre-apprenticeship scheme, Give Get Go volunteering programme and Liv to Give staff volunteering framework, enhancing the University’s civic contribution as an employer.

Carol has a Doctorate (in HE); she is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development; holds an MA from Durham University and diplomas in coaching and mentoring.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: January 2020

Faruk Dasu (Chair of Faith and Character Education Board)

Faruk has worked in Further Education and the private sector. He has been involved in the pharmaceutical industry for several years, working for multinational companies including Daichi Sankyo, Sanofi Aventis and Novo Nordisk in various sales, management, marketing and training roles.

He is currently employed as a UK Market Access Manager for a Spanish-based pharmaceutical company called Almirall. Earlier in his career, he operated as a degree-level Curriculum Manager and Departmental Head in the Further Education sector.

Faruk has chaired several school Local Governing Bodies and is currently the Chair of Governors at The Olive School, Blackburn.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: August 2020

Harry Devonport (Chair of Academic Board)

Following a successful teaching career, which included working as a Headteacher at a South East Manchester high school, Harry went on to lead Blackburn with Darwen’s nationally recognised Education Action Zone. Harry has held several Chief Officer positions within the local authority, most recently as Director of Education, where he led focused work on school improvement and the raising of standards, with targeted work with vulnerable and underachieving groups.

Harry also managed the development of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) and the CYPP Partnership. He oversaw the development of performance management, quality assurance and systems to support inspection and accountability, as well as the Education Department’s resourcing strategy, workforce development and its capital programme.

Harry retired in February 2012 and continues to remain active in supporting education within the local area. In 2018, Harry led the formation of the Pennine Trust, a small Multi Academy Trust in East Lancashire.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: June 2022                                                                                                                                                                                      

Kevin Jaquiss (Chair of Audit Committee)

Prior to his retirement in 2015, Kevin worked for over 30 years as a solicitor, specialising in governance and employment law, particularly in community services and education. He worked on new enterprises in education, health, sport, housing, care, utilities and leisure sectors, receiving the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyer of the Year 2010 award for his work.

He worked in partnership with the Co-operative Group and the Co-operative College to develop a constitution for the creation of new co-operative school trusts, with more than 200 co-operative schools using the model developed.

Since retirement, Kevin has offered consultancy services through DWF LLP (the firm from which he retired as a partner) and directly to clients and has taken on voluntary trusteeships in the education sector.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: June 2022                                                                                                                                                                            

Imraan Patel

Imraan is the Chief Strategy and Business Officer of EG Group, one of the world’s leading convenience retailers, and is based at the company’s headquarters in Blackburn where he is a member of the board and leadership team. In his role, Imraan leads all mergers, acquisitions, divestments, and strategic initiatives as well as Legal and Compliance, Health, Environment, Safety & Security (HESS) and ESG activities for the Group.

Imraan qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2003 having completed his training in the City of London. He has over 20 years of experience of negotiating, and delivering legal and commercial advice on, complex, frequently high profile transactions around the world.

Before joining EG Group, Imraan held a variety of roles at businesses of Orange SA and BT Group plc as well as in private practice. Imraan has received many accolades, most notably being named in the GC Powerlist 2023 as one of the UK’s most influential lawyers. Imraan holds a LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Lancaster, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (PGDipL) from the College of Law.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: December 2022

Rt Hon. Jack Straw

The Rt Hon. Jack Straw has enjoyed an esteemed political career and has close ties with Blackburn, where Star was initially founded, having served as the town’s MP for over 35 years.

Jack qualified as a barrister in the early 1970s, practising criminal law for 2 years before he made the transition to politics. He worked as a Special Adviser to Barbara Castle, his predecessor as Blackburn’s MP, and succeeded her in the seat in 1979. He served as a member of the Shadow Cabinet, where he was appointed to a number of high-profile roles, including the Opposition Spokesman on Education, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, and Shadow Home Secretary.

When the Labour Party came into power in 1997 under the leadership of Tony Blair, Jack was already well-versed in the roles and responsibilities of being Home Secretary and was the natural choice to take up the mantle. During his four years in office, he oversaw the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act and the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into British law.

In 2001, Jack was appointed to the role of Foreign Secretary, a role he held until 2006. He played a leading role in shaping foreign policy and facilitating international relations. Jack continued to play a pivotal role in the Labour Party, becoming Leader of the House of Commons from 2006-2007, and then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from 2007 to 2010. He was the first Lord Chancellor since the 16th century to serve in the role whilst a member of the House of Commons.

Jack retired from front-bench politics in 2010 but remains a staunch believer in the transformative power of education and an influential advocate for young people. He is a Visiting Professor at the University College London School of Public Policy, a Governor of Blackburn College (1990-2012) and, from May 2015, has been Chairman of the Blackburn Youth Zone. He is a Trustee of the Royal United Services Institute, one of the UK’s leading foreign policy think-tanks.

Member appointed Trustee
Reappointed: July 2021 

Mark Hageman

Mark retired as a Partner at Linklaters LLP in London after a 30 years career in corporate law in April 2023.  Prior to joining Linklaters LLP in 2010, Mark was at the firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York and London.  Prior to attending Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, Mark served as an officer in the US armed forces. 

Mark has served on the local accountability board of Olive School Hackney in London since 2017. Mark is interested in education policy, particularly for children in primary and secondary schools, including providing students with enrichment opportunities in areas such as reading, extra-curricular activities such as debate and sports, and outside mentoring and post-secondary education and career exploration.  He has been involved in programs of this type for Star Academies’ schools and well as The Access Project and the Mentoring Works program with students from schools in London. Mark is currently  attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Member appointed Trustee
Appointed: November 2020

Peter McKee

Peter McKee grew up in Belfast and was educated in Scotland. He read Law at Downing College, Cambridge, joined Middle Temple and was called to The Bar in 1987. By then he had decided that his future lay in teaching rather than in a career as a barrister. He returned to Cambridge for two years to study Maths and Education and then took up a post at Sherborne in Dorset. After four years there, during which time, in addition to his Maths teaching, he coached a wide range of sports, was a Deputy House Master and still found time to play for the town’s rugby club.

In 1994 Peter moved to Eton. He was a House Master from January 2000 until the summer of 2013 and after that spent five years as Eton’s Director of Admissions. He is now Vice-Provost of Eton College. Whilst at Eton he has been involved in many developments in the school’s academic curriculum, pastoral provision, admissions policies, and sporting programme. He is a governor of a Church of England Infant School and another independent school. He is also a member of the management board of his wife’s family estate in Surrey.

Co-opted Trustee
Appointed: June 2021

Gareth Stevens

Gareth Stevens is the Chief Executive of Inspiration Trust. Joining as the Principal at Hethersett Academy, he was promoted to Secondary Director, before being promoted again into his leadership position. Gareth was the Principal at Hethersett for seven years. During that time, he received record GCSE results, an outstanding rating from Ofsted and oversaw the school’s expansion.

Co-opted Trustee
Appointed: June 2021

 Note:

Trustees are appointed for an initial term of 4 years, but may be re-appointed thereafter. This time limit does not apply to the Chief Executive, who holds the position whilst in post.

Latest News

Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham judged ‘outstanding’ in first Ofsted inspection

The whole school community is celebrating after the report, published by Ofsted this week, confirms that the school has achieved outstanding status in all areas with no recommendations for improvement. 

Read More

Star Institute

Building a world-class education workforce

Star empowers people to make a significant contribution to a self-improving school system.

Learn More

Leadership Courses

High quality, accredited leadership training

Star is a lead provider of the Department for Education’s Golden Thread of professional development.

Learn More
top